"Could you please sit down, Pond?" his dad asked, gently taking his hand and pulling him to sit beside him.
"I'm nervous, Dad," Pond admitted, his expression betraying him. He looked visibly anxiousâonly the blind would say he seemed fine.
"I know you are. I've been in your shoes before. But there's really nothing for you to worry about. Phuwin will be here later. He's just busy with all those papers you left for him to keep him occupied all day."
"Will he be able to finish all of it on time?" Pond asked.
"Whether he finishes or not, it doesn't really matter. After all, you only gave him those tasks to keep him busy so we could prepare properly for your planned proposal and wedding. Sam and Gem will bring him here, even if he hasn't completed everything you assigned."
Pond nodded in agreement. His dad was right. It was all part of the plan to keep Phuwin occupied the entire day.
Pond was planning to propose and marry Phuwin tonight. It had been a year since everything in their lives had turned upside downâa year since fate played its game, testing their relationship to its limits.
Pond had firmly established his authority and reputation within their company. He had resolved all the issues that needed attention and proven to everyone that he could successfully manage the entire family business at such a young age.
In fact, just a month ago, he was honored with the Rookie Entrepreneur Award at an event held in Japan. More recently, at the ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) in New York, he was recognized as the Youngest Entrepreneur. Adding to his accolades, Forbes acknowledged Pond as the youngest billionaire and entrepreneur. He was featured in Forbes Magazine, and that particular issue sold out within minutes of its release.
Pond had already made his mark in the business world, so now it was time to make his mark permanent in Phuwin's life. As he had promised, he would propose to Phuwin when everything was in placeâand that moment had finally arrived. Tonight was the night.
Pond closed down one of the hotels owned by their family for the occasion. He had the rooftop beautifully decorated and even invited all the hotel guests and staff to witness the special moment. He wanted everyone to see how he would begin a new chapter of his life with the man he loved most.
To pull off his plan, Pond enlisted Gemini's help. He also coordinated with employees at the main company to keep Phuwin occupied, ensuring he wouldn't have time to think about looking for him throughout the day.
As the hours passed, the rooftop began to fill up. The hotel guests dressed elegantly for the occasion, the food was prepared and ready to be served, and everything was set. All that remained was for Phuwin to arrive.
Pond received a message from Gemini confirming they were on their way to the hotel. However, because it was rush hour, they were expected to be slightly delayed.
"Are you about to faint, Pond? You're so pale," Dunk said, looking at Pond with concern.
"I'm just excited and nervous. A lot of 'what ifs' are running through my head," Pond admitted.
Dunk grabbed Pond's hands and chuckled when he felt how cold they were. He had never seen Pond like this beforeâit was a completely new side of him.
"And for the record, everyone, it looks like our friend here is about to pass out," Joong teased, laughing as he aimed his video camcorder at Pond. Joong was tasked with documenting the event.
Though Pond had hired a professional videographer, he still asked Joong to record everything from his perspective. Pond wanted every moment capturedânot just the proposal itself but the candid and behind-the-scenes moments. He planned to keep the recordings as a treasure they could look back on together, time and time again.
Pond shot a glare at Joong, which only made the latter laugh even harder.
"Phi Pond, you know, Phi Phuwin is totally going to laugh at you later," Fourth teased as he approached Pond's spot. Behind him was Aou, seated in a wheelchair since he had just recently been discharged from the hospital. His heart transplant had been a success, and despite the doctor's advice to rest, he insisted on attending the event.
Behind Aou was Boom, his fiancé, who was pushing the wheelchair with care.
"Relax, man. He's going to say yes," Boom chimed in with a reassuring smile. "Although, he might smack you lightly for this. He's not the biggest fan of surprises, but he doesn't hate them either."
Pond scratched the back of his head at Boom's comment. Of course, he knew that while Phuwin didn't hate surprises, he wasn't exactly a fan of them eitherâfor no particular reason. Pond could already picture how Phuwin would lightly smack him later, but he didn't mind. He didn't care how many times Phuwin might scold him. All that mattered was making Phuwin his better half, his husband, and legally his forever.
Meanwhile, Phuwin was confused as to why they were at one of the hotels owned by Pond's family. More so, why it was closed at that very moment. However, he was too tired to question Sam or anyone else. All he wanted was to rest and get some sleep.
"This way, Phu." Gemini grabbed Phuwin's hand and dragged him further inside the hotel.
"What exactly are we doing here?" Phuwin finally asked as Gemini and Sam gently nudged him into the elevator.
"You'll find out soon enough," Gemini replied with a teasing grin.
"Why later? Why not just tell me now?" Phuwin pressed.
Gemini and Sam exchanged a knowing look before both sighed and shook their heads.
"We're not in a position to answer that," Gemini said firmly. "You'll know soon enough, so stop asking."
Phuwin could only shake his head in defeat. What else could he do? Knowing his twin, if he was told to keep something a secret, no amount of persuasion would make him spill. As for Sam, she was equally loyal to orders. No matter how hard Phuwin tried to get answers from her, it would be pointless. All he could do was wait.
"Where to?" Phuwin asked once they stepped out of the elevator on the 10th floor, where most of the hotel's VIP guests were checked in.
"This way," Gemini replied, tugging at Phuwin's hand. Phuwin sighed deeply, allowing his twin to drag him along.
Gemini led him into a room, and Phuwin froze in shock when he saw three men inside, all dressed in black uniforms with the hotel logo on the left side. They were holding white items, except for the gray neckties they wore.
"Am I supposed to wear that?" Phuwin asked, pointing to the items the hotel employees were holding.
"Yeah, what, you think I'm going to wear it?" Gemini answered sarcastically, gesturing to himself, fully dressed for the occasion.
"Can I at least take a quick shower?" Phuwin asked, eyeing his twin, looking like a cat about to snap its claws.
"Yeah, but hurry up."
Phuwin didn't respond. He just headed straight for the bathroom to shower. Afterward, the hotel employees, Gemini, and Sam helped him get dressed. Sam also fixed his hair and applied a light layer of makeup, just enough to conceal his eye bags. It wasn't noticeable, so Phuwin didn't complain. Before leaving the room, Sam did a quick makeup touch-up and even fixed Gemini's hair and makeup.
Phuwin stayed quiet as they rode the elevator up to the rooftop. He was still pondering what the occasion could be. He had some ideas, but he didn't want to entertain them. He knew Pond was too busy with the business to think about proposing to him. Though Pond had already made a name for himself in the business world and the company and other ventures were stable, there was still a lot to do and think about. Phuwin wasn't in a hurry. Pond had assured him multiple times that he wasn't looking for anyone else. Phuwin was enough for him, and he was content with what they had. While they were planning to adopt a child, that alone wasn't enough reason for Pond to propose. It wasn't something they were rushing.
So, putting that thought aside, Phuwin wondered if this was the surprise wedding Joong had been planning for Dunk. Joong had wanted to do it for a long time, but he hadn't been able to because of everything that had happened. But if that were the case, why was Gemini hiding it from him? He wasn't the one getting married to Joong, and it was obvious Joong was head over heels for Dunk. Joong had practically made Dunk his everything after the accident, almost to the point of obsession.
When they arrived on the rooftop, a cold breeze greeted them. The area was dimly lit, but not too cold. Phuwin looked around, trying to piece things together. The silence felt deafening.
"Are you sure about the place, Gemini?" Phuwin asked, confused.
"Yeah. Just stay here," Gemini replied.
"Huh? Why? Whereâ"
Phuwin didn't finish his sentence as the lights suddenly flickered on, flooding the entire rooftop with bright light. A crowd of people appeared, watching him, all standing still, leaving him completely clueless about what was happening. Joong was on the other side, holding his camera and snapping photos nonstop, capturing every angle of him.
Phuwin scanned the crowd, realizing that most of the people staring at him were guests. Gemini stood at the front with Fourth and Sam beside him. Dunk was with his family, and Pond's entire clan was present. But Phuwin's eyes were searching for one personâthe one who could calm his heart in that moment. But he couldn't find him. He looked around frantically, but suddenly stopped when he heard a familiar voice carried on the cold night air.
The voice of Pond echoed through the breeze.
A/N: SONG: Only One by Pond Naravit (I'll use the English trans of the song)
Even if I look up to the sky from my world, I can't see you
The horizon seems so far away
No matter how high it is, it can't be compared
To the place where you standing
verse
But today our parths have crossed
It's like a dream that I've never dared to dream of
For once in my life, I have you, I'm not afraid to die
Because I want to do my best
I used to wonder
Who I am living for
I can die for you
My one life, how valuable is it?
My one heart that I give you is the answer
You are the only one whom I will give my whole heart to
You are the meaning of my life
verse
From now on, you no longer need to live in fear
No need to feel afraid of anyone or anything
Just remember that someone is willing to sacrifice his heart
To make sure that you will be safe
I used to wonder
Who I am living for
I can die for you
My one life, how valuable is it?
My one heart that I give you is the answer
You are the only one whom I will give my whole heart to
You are the meaning of my life
My one life, how valuable is it?
Whoa, whoa-oh
(My one heart that I give you is the answer) Whoa, whoa-oh
You are the only one
You are the meaning of my life
Because my life is for you, my one and only
Phuwin was speechless as he watched Pond sing while holding a bouquet of white roses, his eyes locked on Phuwin's. Despite all the people watching them, Pond's focus never wavered, his smile wide and genuine.
"What is this, love?" Phuwin asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
Instead of answering, Pond simply smiled at him and held out the bouquet. Phuwin took it, still stunned, but his shock deepened when Pond suddenly kneeled in front of him. He raised his hand, revealing a ring.
"Phuwin, my baby, will you give me the opportunity to change your last name to mine and spend the rest of your life with me?" Pond asked, his voice steady but full of emotion.
Tears streamed down Phuwin's face like a waterfall. He had always known that Pond wanted to marry him, but he also knew how many things Pond had to prioritize. Pond had often said that he would give Phuwin an extravagant wedding proposal, but Phuwin never expected anything like this. Inviting all the hotel guests, having his entire family present, and even televising the eventâPond had truly kept his word.
"Yes. I will," Phuwin answered, his voice shaking with emotion as he pulled Pond to his feet. "I will marry you, my dear Pond."
After Pond slid the ring onto Phuwin's finger, the music suddenly changed to a wedding march, making Phuwin pause in confusion and glance at Pond.
"Let's get married immediately, baby," Pond said, his voice full of certainty.
"That fast?" Phuwin asked, still in a daze.
"Yeah. Why wait any longer? This is where we're headed anyway."
"Okay. Let's get married."
The entire wedding ceremony was beautiful and solemn. Pond held Phuwin's hand throughout, occasionally kissing it softly. As they exchanged vows, Phuwin couldn't hold back his tears. Pond promised him everything, even in their next life. His sweet words touched Phuwin's heart deeply.
Phuwin continued to cry through the rest of the ceremony, realizing so much in that moment. The first thing that struck him was that his family, aside from Gemini, wasn't there to witness his wedding. Another dream of his would remain just thatâa dream, unfulfilled.
And yet, in the midst of it all, he realized something powerful: no matter what happens, if you're destined to be with someone, you will end up together at the end of the rocky road. In the game of destiny, you don't have to fight against it. All you need to do is face it together and push through, until you both reach the end.
THE END
Author's note:
Hello everyone,
The story of PPW has now come to an end. I want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for reading and for patiently waiting for my updates. I also want to sincerely apologize for the delay in publishing the epilogue. I've been swamped with a lot of orders for my handmade products, which took up much of my time.
I'm also sorry if the wedding ceremony wasn't elaborated in detail. Since I haven't experienced it myself and don't plan to in the future, I don't have a clear idea of how it truly goes. I hope you understand.
I really appreciate your support and I hope you enjoyed this final chapter.
Thank you once again for everything, and I wish you all an advance Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
DATE COMPLETED:Â December 22, 2024